Standard Lemma guide

ancillary

adj · noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ænˈsɪl.ə.ɹiː/
  • Canada, General-American: /ˈæn.səˌlɛɹ.i/
  • Canada, General-American: [ˈɛn.səˌlɛɹ.i]
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australian: /ænˈsɪl.ə.ɹi/
  • Australian: [ɛːnˈsɪl.ə.ɹi]
  • Queensland Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɪləɹi
  • CMU ARPABET: AE1 N S AH0 L EH2 R IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Subordinate; secondary; auxiliary.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: accessory

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Something that serves an ancillary function, such as an easel for a painter.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

An auxiliary.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective satellite

Meaning 4

furnishing added support

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • an ancillary pump
  • an adjuvant discipline to forms of mysticism
  • The mind and emotions are auxiliary to each other

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: accessory, adjunct, adjuvant, appurtenant, auxiliary

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Latin ancillāris (“ancillary; relating to female slaves”), from ancilla (“slave-woman”).

Across languages

Translations

76 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: помощен (pomošten) — subordinate, secondary, auxiliary, accessory
  • Bulgarian: спомагателен (spomagatelen) — subordinate, secondary, auxiliary, accessory
  • Catalan: auxiliar — subordinate, secondary, auxiliary, accessory
  • Danish: sekundær — subordinate, secondary, auxiliary, accessory
  • Danish: underordnet — subordinate, secondary, auxiliary, accessory
  • Dutch: ondergeschikt — subordinate, secondary, auxiliary, accessory
  • Dutch: ondersteunend — subordinate, secondary, auxiliary, accessory
  • Finnish: avustava — subordinate, secondary, auxiliary, accessory
  • Finnish: apu- — subordinate, secondary, auxiliary, accessory
  • Finnish: oheis- — subordinate, secondary, auxiliary, accessory
  • Finnish: tukeva — subordinate, secondary, auxiliary, accessory
  • Finnish: tuki- — subordinate, secondary, auxiliary, accessory
  • Finnish: toissijainen — subordinate, secondary, auxiliary, accessory
  • French: subordonné — subordinate, secondary, auxiliary, accessory
  • French: secondaire — subordinate, secondary, auxiliary, accessory
  • French: auxiliaire — subordinate, secondary, auxiliary, accessory
  • French: ancillaire — subordinate, secondary, auxiliary, accessory
  • Galician: auxiliar — subordinate, secondary, auxiliary, accessory
  • Galician: secundario — subordinate, secondary, auxiliary, accessory
  • German: hilfs- — subordinate, secondary, auxiliary, accessory
  • German: neben- — subordinate, secondary, auxiliary, accessory
  • German: zusatz- — subordinate, secondary, auxiliary, accessory
  • Italian: subordinato — subordinate, secondary, auxiliary, accessory
  • Italian: secondario — subordinate, secondary, auxiliary, accessory
  • Italian: ausiliare — subordinate, secondary, auxiliary, accessory
  • Polish: podrzędny — subordinate, secondary, auxiliary, accessory
  • Polish: podporządkowany — subordinate, secondary, auxiliary, accessory
  • Polish: pomocniczy — subordinate, secondary, auxiliary, accessory
  • Polish: akcesoryczny — subordinate, secondary, auxiliary, accessory
  • Portuguese: subordinado — subordinate, secondary, auxiliary, accessory
  • Portuguese: secundário — subordinate, secondary, auxiliary, accessory
  • Portuguese: auxiliar — subordinate, secondary, auxiliary, accessory
  • Portuguese: ancilário — subordinate, secondary, auxiliary, accessory
  • Portuguese: ancilar — subordinate, secondary, auxiliary, accessory
  • Portuguese: auxiliário — subordinate, secondary, auxiliary, accessory
  • Russian: вспомога́тельный (vspomogátelʹnyj) — subordinate, secondary, auxiliary, accessory
  • Russian: подсо́бный (podsóbnyj) — subordinate, secondary, auxiliary, accessory
  • Russian: дополни́тельный (dopolnítelʹnyj) — subordinate, secondary, auxiliary, accessory
  • Russian: подчинённый (podčinjónnyj) — subordinate, secondary, auxiliary, accessory
  • Spanish: secundario — subordinate, secondary, auxiliary, accessory
  • Spanish: auxiliar — subordinate, secondary, auxiliary, accessory
  • Spanish: ancilar — subordinate, secondary, auxiliary, accessory
  • Spanish: ancilario — subordinate, secondary, auxiliary, accessory
  • Swedish: underordnad — subordinate, secondary, auxiliary, accessory
  • Swedish: sekundär — subordinate, secondary, auxiliary, accessory
  • Turkish: yardımcı — subordinate, secondary, auxiliary, accessory
  • Turkish: tali — subordinate, secondary, auxiliary, accessory
  • Urdu: مُعاوِن (muawan) — subordinate, secondary, auxiliary, accessory
  • Finnish: apuväline — thing
  • French: accessoire — thing
  • Galician: accesorio — thing
  • Polish: środek m pomocniczy — thing
  • Polish: pomoce — thing
  • Russian: вспомогательная дета́ль (vspomogatelʹnaja) — thing
  • Spanish: auxiliar — thing
  • Spanish: accesorio — thing
  • Spanish: apoyo — thing
  • Finnish: apulainen — person
  • Finnish: alainen — person
  • French: domestique — person
  • French: serviteur — person
  • French: boy — person
  • French: aide à la personne — person
  • French: employé de maison — person
  • Galician: auxiliar — person
  • Galician: asistente — person
  • Galician: axudante — person
  • Italian: domestico — person
  • Italian: servo — person
  • Polish: pomocnik — person
  • Russian: подчинённый (podčinjónnyj) — person
  • Spanish: auxiliar — person
  • Spanish: ayudante — person
  • Spanish: subordinado — person
  • Spanish: subordinada — person
  • Spanish: criado — person
Real reading context

ancillary in complete knowledge articles